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1968 Was a Year of Change for The Nickel Revolution

It’s interesting to note that the year of 1968 held many changes and new opportunities for The Nickel Revolution. Rock and roll music had evolved and the messages in music were stronger than ever. Why?

Music is a reflection of the times and our country was going through many changes and challenges, consequently the songwriters and bands were responding with songs that would become anthems for many.

The year begins for The Nickel Revolution on an “easy feeling,” and the band goes into the studio to record Sweet, Sweet Lovin’ a cover of the Platters hit. Kent Saunders added his excellent vocals. The second recording was Ron Honeybear Hort singing, “Treat Her Right,” by Roy Head.

The main point of talking about these songs is very clear as it relates to 1968. The year begins with an easy R&B feel for The Nickel Revolution and by the end of the year a heavier rock and roll version of the band emerges. Look at the clothes and style of the band. At the beginning of the year the band wears suits, including tuxes for some shows, and by the end of the year The Nickel Revolution is no longer in matching outfits. Individual style, custom-made clothes with each member expressing their own taste and appearance and long hair.

As 1968 began, we were a show band and the line up included Kent Saunders (lead guitar), Ron Honeybear Hort (keyboards), JohnBerman (sax), Scott Jeffy (bass), Louie Lenz (rhythm guitar) and Jerry Lenz (drums). By early spring, Kent Saunders and John Berman would leave to join other R&B show bands as The Nickel Revolution was moving toward a different sound. Keith Luer is added to the band on lead guitar, bringing original songs and a new rock flavor to the band.

Oddly enough, it was the same year that the band would win, “Best New Material” Award and the Connie Awards in May and be contracted with Mercury Records/Phillips label for the Candy Floss recording of Oscar Crunch, a bubblegum song. It’s awkward because this happened when the band was changing its sound and direction.

Oscar Crunch would become a local and regional hit for the band in the Midwest and radio play included eastern states as well. The Nickel Revolution were booked and packaged with bubblegum groups, but they only played one bubblegum song. Audiences didn’t mind, nor did the concert promoters and venue managers as The Nickel Revolution drew audiences.

Looking back at the music and news headlines of 1968 will demonstrate just how much change was taking place. One interesting story of that year for the band happened when a few of the guys traveled to Chicago to buy clothes and “hang out.” We had finished a gig in Wisconsin and part of the band returned to Minneapolis while Louie, Scott, Jerry and Rich Lindquist (one of our roadies) headed to the Windy City. We traveled in Louie’s brand new 1968 Ford Torino. It was dark blue with a white racing stripe down the center of the car, so it did stand out.

The band checked into a hotel and went out to cruise the streets of Chicago. Especially the north side where the emerging hippie shops were. We had our first real experience of being “hassled” by the cops. The corruption of Mayor Daley’s administration was legendary, including the police force.

Some undercover cops in an unmarked, beat up old dodge, pulled us over. It was unnerving as the car and the cops did not look right. The two “officers” looked like bar slobs. They made us get out of the car and sit on the curb while they searched our vehicle—and there was no traffic infraction or probable cause to search the car, nor did we give them permission to search us and the car. They were mad and disgusted to not find any pot or other illegal substances. They yelled at us and told us to get, “the hell out of Chicago,” noting our Minnesota plates and ID’s. The long hair didn’t help and they said we looked like girls. Fortunately we saved our comments about them for later. Daley’s welcoming committee taught us a lesson—be careful in a corrupt city. This was just a few short weeks before the huge anti-war protests in Chicago during the 1968 Democratic National Convention where the police brutalized the protesters. There are plenty of articles and photos online to demonstrate how bad the situation was.

Now let’s look at the changes in music and the Billboard Top 100 of 1968

1.

Hey Jude

The Beatles

2.

I Heard It Through The Grapevine

Marvin Gaye

3.

Love Is Blue

Paul Mauriat

4.

Love Child

Diana Ross &The Supremes

5.

Honey

Bobby Goldsboro

6.

Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay

Otis Redding

7.

People Got To Be Free

The Rascals

8.

This Guy’s In Love With You

Herb Alpert

9.

Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)

JohnFred &His Playboy Band

10.

Woman Woman

Gary Puckett &The Union Gap

11.

Mrs. Robinson

Simon &Garfunkel

12.

Who’s Making Love

Johnnie Taylor

13.

Hello I Love You

The Doors

14.

Tighten Up

Archie Bell &The Drells

15.

Young Girl

Gary Puckett &The Union Gap

16.

HarperValleyPta

Jeannie C. Riley

17.

Those Were The Days

Mary Hopkin

18.

Little Green Apples

O.C. Smith

19.

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

HugoMontenegro

20.

Bend Me, Shape Me

American Breed

21.

Cry Like A Baby

The Box Tops

22.

Magic Carpet Ride

Steppenwolf

23.

Green Tambourine

The Lemon Pipers

24.

Midnight Confessions

The Grass Roots

25.

For Once In My Life

Stevie Wonder

26.

It’s A Beautiful Morning

The Rascals

27.

Spooky

Classics Iv

28.

Abraham, Martin AndJohn

Dion

29.

Stoned Soul Picnic

5th Dimension

30.

Chain Of Fools

Aretha Franklin

31.

Mony Mony

Tommy James &The Shondells

32.

Classical Gas

Mason Williams

33.

Cowboys To Girls

The Intruders

34.

I Love How You Love Me

Bobby Vinton

35.

The Ballad Of Bonnie AndClyde

Georgie Fame

36.

I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You

Bee Gees

37.

Grazing In The Grass

Hugh Masekela

38.

Angel Of The Morning

Merrilee Rush &The Turnabouts

39.

Fire

Crazy World Of Arthur Brown

40.

(Theme From) Valley Of The Dolls

Dionne Warwick

41.

Born To Be Wild

Steppenwolf

42.

The Horse

Cliff Nobles &Co.

43.

Lady Willpower

Gary Puckett &The Union Gap

44.

Slip Away

Clarence Carter

45.

I Wish It Would Rain

The Temptations

46.

Jumpin’ Jack Flash

The Rolling Stones

47.

Light My Fire

JoseFeliciano

48.

(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You’ve Been Gone

Aretha Franklin

49.

La-La Means I Love You

The Delfonics

50.

Girl Watcher

The O’kaysions

51.

Different Drum

Stone Poneys F/Linda Ronstadt

52.

Stormy

Classics Iv F/ Dennis Yost

53.

Yummy Yummy Yummy

OhioExpress

54.

Hold Me Tight

Johnny Nash

55.

The Look Of Love

Sergio Mendes &Brazil66

56.

Sunshine Of Your Love

Cream

57.

Dance To The Music

Sly &The Family Stone

58.

Turn Around Look At Me

The Vogues

59.

Over You

Gary Puckett &The Union Gap

60.

Reach Out Of The Darkness

Friend And Lover

61.

Simon Says

19l0 FruitgumCo.

62.

Revolution

The Beatles

63.

Bottle Of Wine

The Fireballs

64.

Lady Madonna

The Beatles

65.

Love Is All Around

The Troggs

66.

MacarthurPark

Richard Harris

67.

Take Time To Know Her

Percy Sledge

68.

Hurdy Gurdy Man

Donovan

69.

White Room

Cream

70.

I Got The Feelin’

James Brown

71.

Nobody But Me

The Human Beinz

72.

1,2,3, Red Light

1910 Fruitgum Co.

73.

Think

Aretha Franklin

74.

You Keep Me Hangin’ On

Vanilla Fudge

75.

Goin’ Out Of My Head/Can’t Take My Eyes Off You

The Lettermen

76.

The Unicorn

The Irish Rovers

77.

Baby, Now That I’ve Found You

The Foundations

78.

Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing

Marvin Gaye And Tammi Terrell

79.

The Fool On The Hill

Sergio Mendes &Brazil’66

80.

Susan

The Buckinghams

81.

Time Has Come Today

Chambers Brothers

82.

I Say A Little Prayer

Aretha Franklin

83.

IndianLake

The Cowsills

84.

I Thank You

Sam And Dave

85.

Elenore

The Turtles

86.

Hush

Deep Purple

87.

Here Comes The Judge

Shorty Long

88.

My Special Angel

The Vogues

89.

I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonite

Tommy Boyce &Bobby Hart

90.

Stay In My Corner

The Dells

91.

Both Sides Now

Judy Collins

92.

The House That Jack Built

Aretha Franklin

93.

You’re All I Need To Get By

Marvin Gaye And Tammi Terrell

94.

The Mighty Quinn (Quinn The Eskimo]

Manfred Mann

95.

Suzie Q (Part One)

Creedence Clearwater Revival

96.

Do You Know The Way ToSanJose

Dionne Warwick

97.

If You Can Want

Smokey Robinson &The Miracles

98.

Say It Loud-I’m Black And I’m Proud (Part 1)

James Brown

99.

I Love You

People

100.

Piece Of My Heart

Big Brother &The Holding Company

If you are familiar with the music, it is very easy to see the contrasting sounds and the emergence of more, “message music” as you look at the Billboard Top 100 for 1968. Interesting to note that Here Comes The Judge by Shorty Long came in at number 87, because at the beginning of the same year, The Nickel Revolution recorded a version of Here Comes da Judge for Candy Floss Productions which was never released (available on Amazon and iTunes). You can see the story on this blog in an earlier entry.

Back to the changing music of 1968, let’s look at two artists and their releases. The first is Dion with Abraham, Martin And John (number 28 on the chart above).

Dion Dimuci was the lead singer in a 50s Doo Wop group, Dion and the Belmonts and he had a lot more to say in his 1968 recording. Abraham, Martin And John which was in reference to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, the Reverend Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy.

Another true reflection of the changing times, anger over the Viet Nam war and musicians working to bring more message music, is John Fogerty’s song Fortunate Son recorded by his group, Creedence Clearwater Revival. Here are the lyrics:

Some folks are born made to wave the flag
Ooh, they’re red, white and blue
And when the band plays “Hail to the Chief”
Oh, they point the cannon at you, Lord

It ain’t me, it ain’t me
I ain’t no Senator’s son
It ain’t me, it ain’t me
I ain’t no fortunate one, no

Some folks are born silver spoon in hand
Lord, don’t they help themselves, oh
But when the tax men come to the door
Lord, the house look a like a rummage sale, yes

It ain’t me, it ain’t me
I ain’t no millionaire’s son, no, no
It ain’t me, it ain’t me
I ain’t no fortunate one, no

Yeah, some folks inherit star spangled eyes
Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord
And when you ask them, “How much should we give?”
Oh, they only answer, more, more, more, yoh

It ain’t me, it ain’t me
I ain’t no military son
It ain’t me, it ain’t me
I ain’t no fortunate one

It ain’t me, it ain’t me
I ain’t no fortunate one, no, no, no
It ain’t me, it ain’t me
I ain’t no fortunate son, no, no

1968 truly was a year of change and you can see how The Nickel Revolution was changing and evolving in their sound, direction and style.

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